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Here’s an early look at the N.L. Only 2011 Catcher rankings..
1. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: McCann’s average has dipped the past two years to a career low .269. He still supplied the power, hitting 20+ home runs for a third straight year. His RBI total of 77 was his lowest in a full season, but it is still a strong number for a catcher. He’s averaged 21.4 HR and 88.6 RBI over the past five years..
2. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: Buster hit .305 with 58 runs, 18 HRs, and 67 RBI as a rookie. He’ll turn just 24 later this month. There’s always a concern that he’ll regress in his second year as pitchers begin to figure him out, but I believe that risk is minimal..
3. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs: Soto rebounded with a .280-47-17-53-0 season last year. Though he was limited to 105 games, he restored his fantasy value. Meaning he’s more like the player that broke out in 2008 than the one that bombed in 2009..
4. Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks: Montero was a popular pick last year, but a knee injury limited him to 85 games. In that half-season he hit nine HRs with 43 RBI. Look at the injury as a means to get him at a discount this year..
5. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals: Far from a sexy pick, Yadier has averaged 57.3 RBI over the past three seasons. He hit .304 and .293 in 2008 and 2009 before dipping to .262 last year. He hit .315 in the second half last year. Plus, with 17 stolen bases for the past two years combined, he gives you a quiet boost in that category..
6. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies: Ruiz is a lot like Molina. He’s not going to set the world on fire, but he can give you a decent average and a fair amount of RBI. Keep in mind that his average and OPS in the first half are .245 and .686 respectively, while they increase to .277 and .819 in the second half..
7. John Buck, Florida Marlins: Buck hit a career high 20 HRs last year. While that number is likely out of reach, he has averaged 12.9 HRs over the past seven seasons..
8. Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies: You’ve reached the desperation stage for N.L. catchers. Iannetta combined for 34 HRs in 2008 and 2009 before going in the tank last year, hitting .197. The power potential is there, but he’s a lifetime .234 hitter..
9. Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers: Lucroy could miss the start of the year as he recovers from a broken pinkie. His cup of coffee went OK as he hit .253 with 24 runs, four HRs, 26 RBI, and four SBs in 75 games. If you take Lucroy, you’re doing so on potential..
10. Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh Pirates: Doumit lost the catcher gig to Chris Snyder, but he should get enough at bats at catcher, first base, and outfield to make him a serviceable option in N.L. Only leagues. He’s averaged 12.7 HRs over the past three years...

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest..
Here’s an early look at the A.L. Only 2011 Catcher rankings..
1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: Hopefully the power returns, but even if it doesn’t his average, run total, and RBI total make him the top fantasy catcher in baseball. He’s a strong bet to win another batting title..
2. Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers: Leaving Boston will likely mean a slight hit to his numbers, but Victor Martinez is still a force. He hits for average, for power, and is one of the best RBI catchers in the league..
3. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Wieters struggled last year posting a .249-3711-55-0 line. The O’s have made improvements to their lineup by adding Mark Reynolds, Derrek Lee, and J.J. Hardy. Wieters is still young. Though it’s a bit of a gamble, I think he realizes his potential this year..
4. Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers: Napoli led all catchers with 26 HRs last year. It was his third straight year with at least 20 HRs. He also scored 60 runs with a career high 68 RBI. Playing for Texas should lead to strong numbers once again. He should get plenty of at bats between catcher, first base, and DH..
5. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics: Suzuki has quietly averaged 64.5 runs, 14 HRs, 79.5 RBI, and 5.5 SBs over the past two seasons. If you miss out on Mauer and V-Mart, Suzuki is a nice consolation prize later in the draft..
6. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians: Santana needs to stay healthy to become an elite fantasy catcher. He was limited to 150 at bats, but had some moments, including hitting .345 with 10 runs, 4 HRs, and 15 RBIs in June. The risk/reward on Santana is the greatest of the A.L. catchers..
7. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees: Posada probably won’t spend too much time behind the plate, which should help him stay healthy. He’ll handle the DH duties, and should hit 15+ HRs. He’s not the player he once was, but he’s still a serviceable fantasy option..
8. Miguel Olivo, Seattle Mariners: Olivo has jumped around throughout his career, playing for six teams. He’s making his second tour with Seattle. One thing that is constant is his power. He has averaged 16.2 HRs and 56.4 RBI over the past five seasons. His upside is limited, but he’s a nice option if you take a catcher late in the draft..
9. J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays: I was high on J.P. and then Napoli came to town. With Napoli off to Texas, Arencibia become a nice sleeper option again. He hit just .143 in his cup of coffee, but hit .301 with 32 HRs and 85 RBI for Triple-A Las Vegas last year..
10. Russell Martin, New York Yankees: Martin is no longer a fantasy force, but his move to the Yankees could restore some of his value. If the power can return, he could shoot up the rankings, especially if he can get back into the double-digit SBs. The is a low risk option that could end up paying dividends.. .

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest..
Here’s an early look at the 2011 Catcher rankings. .
1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: So the long ball did not translate at Target Field for Mauer. He still hit .327 with 88 runs and 75 RBI. He’s number one and it’s not even close. .
2. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: McCann saw his numbers dip, but a .269-63-21-77-5 season is still rock solid for a catcher. I fully expect his average (career .289 hitter) and RBI (91.5 from 2006-09) to increase. .
3. Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers: Leaving Boston will likely mean a slight hit to his numbers. He set the bar high though with a .302-64-20-79-1 line so even a dip will yield a top three fantasy catcher. .
4. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: Youth has been served. Buster hit .305 with 58 runs, 18 HRs, and 67 RBI. He could challenge for the number two catcher spot, but that’s probably a year away. .
5. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Wieters disappointed in 2010 with a .249-3711-55-0 line, but he is still realizing his potential. Don’t count him out yet. continue reading »